LADIES' COLUMN.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 303, 18 June 1898, Page 2 (Supplement)

LADIES' COLUMN.

HOUSEHOLD TIT-BITS. To Purify Water.—lt is not generally known that pounded alum possesses the property of purifying water. A tablespoonful of pulverised alum sprinkled into a hogshead of water (the water to bcstiired at the time) wil, after the lapse of a few hours, by precipitating to the bottom the impure particles, so purify it that it will be found to possess nearly the freshness and clearness of the fiuest spring water. A pailful containing four gallons may be purified by a siugle teaspootjful. Sore Thimble Fingtrs.— Sowing womsn, it is said, often suffer from sotcness in what is called the thimble finger, and serious inflammation and swelling are often the result. The cheap thimbles composed of lead, or something equally injurious, should nsver be used, especially by people whose llesh 13 slow to heal after a scratch or cut. Silver or plated thimbles, or the highly burnished steel ones, aro the safest and best to u>e. When soot is inadvertently dropped on a carpet, throw over it an equal quantity of powdered salt, and sweep them up both together. There will be no trace ot the aoot left. A Simple Corn Cure.—Bathe the feet well in hot water for thirty minutes every nieht or every third, removing all the hard parts possible. Never use a knife, razor, or any cutting instrument to them. After bathing and rubbing off the horny substance, apply a small piece of absorbent cotton wet with aromatic spirits of ammonia. The ammonia must be applied every night, whether bathing takes place or not. Place an oyster shell in the tea-kettle, and it will collect the hard matter that is liable to form on the inside of the kettle. The shells shonld be washed with a brush before using. Remove the shells every few weeks, and replace with fresh ones if the water is very hard. Making Small Repairs Promptly.— Nothing contributes more to the air of comfort, snugness and thrift, inside the house, than the practice of making small repairs with promptness If a hinge is out of order, the driving of a single nail or the sinking of a screw will prevent the calling in of a carpenter. A few drops of ammonia dissolved in warm water will remove the most obstinate spots or smears from long-neglected window panes. TABLE DECORATIONS. Most ladies are interested in the subject of table decorations, and now that the summer flowers are gone, autumn leaves are invaluable at this time of the year, and chrysanthemums are capital flowers for lasting. Table centres are often now made rouud, like a large d'oylcy, and in suoh cases are usually embroidered to match the d'oyleys used. They are not so pretty as the billowy silk centres lately 80 fashionable. Never arrange the table centre over a dingy or crumpled table-cloth, Nothing is worse taste. Whether or not yoa decorate, your table, at least have the linen white and pure. Pots of ferns look well on the table, and last longer thin flowors, but the pot should be hidden by a coronal of crinkled paper or by a N drapery of fancy silk. Small vases of flowers, tastefully arranged, should &tand at the four corners, but beware that the ornamental never intrudes aggressively. The eye likes to be pleased, and a pretty bright-looking table is a welcome sight to a tired husband or guest: sometimes too tired, indeed, to feel very hungry. FANCY WORK. Ribbon Embroidery.—Embroidery is very fashionable again for gowns, especially evening gowns, and this charming mode gives scope to the lovers of needlework, who by the exercise of taste produce oft?n the most beautiful results. The fronts of dresse?, children's pelessies, and dainty party frocks lend themselves most easily to this decoration. Many evening gowns have a border of embroidery above the hem ; others again have ornamental belts or corselets. The popular ribbon work lends itself most kindly to this style of ornament, and, as well, looks handsome on blotters, pockets, cushions, tea-cosies, etc.; and has the advantage of being quickly exe cuted and looking very showy. Anyone accustomed to embroidery will easily learn the work, which is the using of narrow fancy ribbons inEtead of silk, and lingers neat and quick will soon manage the little curves and twists needed to give to the leaves and petals a realistic appearance Spangles can be introduced •with good effeot, and the finer part of the work is wrought either in silk or fine lineu thread, coloured in different shades. Sometimes the ribbon is just gathered round one edge, to give the oval or round appearauce necessary for jßome flowers and leaves.

PIN-CUSHION NOVELTIES. For some time the useful pin-cushion was banished from the toilet table and superseded by tho dainty little china and silver pin tray ; the latter have been iu their turn rep'aced by small rounded affairs of lineu, daintily embroidered and trimmed with lace and ribbon. These are now succeeded by tho roll cushions, which are not made round, but oblong, and stand very nicely. They are firs* covered on top with silk, silesin or satin, over which is laid a long strip of fine linen, embroidered in festcons or garlands of tiny blossoms in the colour of the lining material. A very full ruffle of lace, two and a-half or three inches in depth, is gathered on, leaving a tiny standing ruffle as heading. Small rosettea of baby ribbon are placed at the four corners A GOOD BARGAIN. The woman who hunts bargains is a uaual subject of criticism and a stauding ijcwspaper joke. Much of the ridicule is undeserved, and much of it ill directad. The whole world, not merely women, loves to get a good bargain, which means full value or extia value for its money ; and this seeking of the bargain hunter whose stock of money is limited, is not only justified, but commendable. Nor is it really impossible, as some jokes and comments seem to imply, to get extra value and good returns for the money, time and work spent in hunting a good bargain. Good bargains are not common, but they are to be had, and extra value for her money is often the reward of the skilful, tireless bargain-seeker. She has a small amount of money, but plenty of time in which to hunt her prey, and the shopkeeper who needs her money quickly is the prey she is seeking. No doubt the seller often considers that the bargain is his, but that is as it should be. For the value of a thing is only relative after all. If one person's time is worth £2OO an hoar, and another person's only threepence, one of us would gain largely and the other lose heavily to give that hour to secure a five shilling bargain. Aud whoever give 3 what he does not want to get what he does want, and gets it, has obtained a good bargain for the outlay. COOKING RECIPES. Fowl Boned and Stuffed.—Mince 41b of fat bacon, ilb of veal, and Jib of ham. Pound them in a mortar, add Boz of breadcrumbs, pepper, salt, graced nutmeg, and bind with the yolks of two eggs. Bono a fowl without breaking the Bkin, fill it with the forcemeat, and tie it

into shape. Make a good stock with the bones, and stew the fowl in it for an hour. Serve with white or Holhndnisc sauce.

Potatoes a la Marie.—Pass some gool floury toiled potatoes through a win; si ve : mix with them some finely chopped paisley, onion (parboiled), pepper, salt, nutmeg, also loz of butter and 2 tablespoonfuls of grated cheese, according to the quantity of potatoes used. Grease a pudding basin by melting a small piece of butter in it and turning it round and round ; sprinkle in some browned breadcrumbs, and fill up with the potato mixture; bake tor twenty m'nutes. The po'atoes may also be formed into balls, brushed over with butter, rolled in browned breadcrumbs, and baked in a baking-tin for a quarter of an hour.

Apkicot Puffs.—These may be made with tinned apricots. Roll out the trimmings of puff or flaky pastiy very tlunly, and but it into small rounds, about two and a half inohes across, brush them over with white of egg, and lay a quarter of an apricot in the centre ; double the pastry over, press the well together and trim them neatly. Brush them over with beaten egg, roll in white crumbs, and fry a light brown in deep, hot fat. Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle castor sugar over them and serve hot.

Ham Croquettes.— Chop or mince |lb of ham, fry a chopped ehalot in loz of butter in a saucepan, add the minced ham, 4oz of cooked rice, and a seasoning of pepper, when hot; stir in the yolk of an et;g and one tablespoonful of brown sauce or gravy. As soon as the mixture thickens, remove it from the fire and allow to cool, shape into balls, egg and crumb these and fry in hot fat, drain and serve at once.